Sunday, June 03, 2007

Separation of Church and State -- A One-Way Street?

The PEI human rights commission is at it again. A while back that they ruled that a Christian couple's devoutly held beliefs concerning human sexuality would not be respected; they were fined and told to submit to Communist-style state propaganda films on the joys of men having sex with other men.

They declined, and closed down their bed-and-breakfast business instead.

Although they would deny it, the human rights commission effectively put them out of business. To them, the answer is simple: every one should bow down to the god they worship: Tolerance. What a great, swinging country we could become if only everyone would get with the program.

In their latest ruling, the rights commission has upheld the complaint of a defrocked minister who disobeyed the explicit injunctions of Scripture and took her grievance with the Presbyterian Church to the rabidly secular human rights commission. They unheld her unlawful dismissal case, granted her $600,000 (!), and, worse, demanded that the Presbyterian Church not only apologize and give her a good job reference, but also rehire her, and not just as an employee, but as a minister.

If this is not an intrusion of the state into the affairs of a religious organization, what is?

They could uphold the aggrieved woman's complaint, they could levy a fine, they could even insist that the Presbyterian Church provide her with employment, but when the secular human rights commission deems to know better than a religious organization who is fit and qualified and suitable to be a minister, they have crossed the line.

Once again, when push comes to shove, it is religious rights that are diminished by Canada's huge and growing state apparatus used to enforce its views on rights.

The Charter of Rights did not secure Canadians' religious rights, it put them under state control. And the state is using its power to diminish fundamental rights, not secure them.

$600,000 is a huge sum of money for any Island Church. The Church, and the cause of Christ, has been damaged. The Presbyterian Church is appealing the decision.